Unless you’re one of the people to whom the Grand Design was handed on a platter, “meaning” is where you find it. And when one is in that particular karmic space, one finds the strangest things to puzzle over. For instance, I’ve been going around and around over possibly the stupidest, least consequential questions in all creation: why do I have no problem re-reading an old story series but balk at watching TV re-runs?
Category Archives: real life
Party Animals
A friend is hosting a Halloween party this year, and today Carol and I worked on our costumes a bit. She’s going as the Queen of England and I’m going as a football (soccer to us in the Colonies) fan. Carol decided that I had to be a fan of the Bolton Wanderers, because she’s only three generations removed from Bolton and still has family there. I’ve got an official jersey and everything, plus a bag shaped like a soccer ball to carry candy in. I thought I was set.
Not quite. While we were killing time in a flea market today, Carol scored a piece of pristine Waterford crystal for $2. I found a Halloween mask in the shape of a soccer ball. Okay, NOW I’m ready!
Drowning My Sorrows – A Literal Interpretation
At this week’s writer’s group meeting we were handed a challenge–write a flash piece around the old saw, “Drowning Your Sorrows” and given a fifteen minute time limit. For your potential amusement, here’s what I did.
Drowning My Sorrows
It was the opposite of transcendence – I wasn’t looking for unity with all things and detachment from the purely physical, rather I was taking something that had no separate physical existence and giving it form and substance. Something I could deal with. The other way was hard, took years and years of whatever it took. This had to be easier. Let other people seek enlightenment. Me, I had other priorities, and I always took the easier way.
“And just what do you think you’re doing?” Continue reading
Civic Duty – A Comedy of Errors
Sorry to be so quiet today, but a few weeks ago I received a summons for jury duty. It wasn’t the first time. I’d been summoned three times before and served on one criminal trial. I filled out the form, as required, sent it back. A few days later I received another form. Jury summons. And I’m thinking yeah, yeah, a reminder. I’ll fill this one out too. Barely looked at it.
I see you all are waaay ahead of me. Continue reading
Richard Parks 